About the author

As a freelance journalist, Anouk (26) usually writes about what other people do or like. In her precious spare time she watches arthouse films. Not a few. A lot, thanks to her trusted Cineville pass. Here she can finally share her film-fetish with the world.

To watch or not to watch? Anouk will tour around Amsterdam’s cinemas and answer this crucial question every Friday. Without mercy, of course. Sucky movies will be slaughtered, cinematographic pearls will be appreciated as such. Or the other way around. After all, good taste is in the eye of the beholder.

Biutiful

The director of Babel and 21 Grams did it again: he made an incredible movie. It’s about Uxbal (Javier Bardem), a father living in the sidelines of life. He tries to make the best of it, but Barcelona is a tough city if you don’t have a lot of money. Uxbal lives in a world full of African immigrants, dealers, hookers and Chinese factory workers. We also meet his ex-wife, kids, some of his ‘friends’ and illegal Chinese workers. It all seems so hopeless and depressing, and Uxbal being terminally ill doesn’t help either.
Barcelona isn’t that sun overloaded city anymore, with Park Güell, La Sagrada Familia and La Rambla.
You shouldn’t see this film if you want to leave the theatre in a happy mood: Biutiful really crawls under your skin.

The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu

What a great idea. Make a movie about the former Romanian dictator by using only real archive material. Even though the film maker Andrei Ujica doesn’t comment the events shown, it’s clear that we’re looking at a megalomaniac freak. Pretty scary, for this used to be the real deal for almost twenty years in communist Romania. We see Ceauşescu giving speeches, on guided tours through factories and state farms, on state visits in China and Korea and so on. Totally weird, yet totally authentic. Would it work with Balkenende?

Kaboom

And now for something completely different! I haven’t seen this one yet, but it sure sounds like good stuff: ‘A science fiction-horror comedy about a young bisexual student who discovers a mysterious sect on his university campus.’ The trailer promises sex, drugs, smart jokes (‘Are you worried?’ ‘Does Mel Gibson hate jews?’) and a lot of mindfucks. I know what I’m gonna see next week.